Many people are on edge or at wit's end after going through the full force of Hurricane Florence. Nothing compares to the frustration that Chief Steve Camlin feels in the storm's aftermath. He says many people dropped the ball on this one.
"[There were] people coming in here from Mutual Aid from other parts of the state, and evidently they had never been in a storm and they got scared and they hauled a--," Camlin said. "They left. They abandoned us."
If the hours after the storm weren't stressful enough, Chief Camlin claims the people in the Acme-Delco-Riegelwood District were neglected by those who are supposed to protect and serve the community.
"No help out of law enforcement whatsoever, not a John Brown bit. If the lights were on in Whiteville they were going back to Whiteville before the street lights came on. It's like they couldn't be down here."
The chief says the lack of police presence led to lawlessness in the streets of Columbus County, prompting firemen to take control of the area before anarchy set in.
"So basically all of the firemen are toting weapons to make sure we maintain order in our little world right here."